If the impressive fundraising potential of raffles has you curious to try something new, exploring helpful tools and technology is a great place to start. A free raffle generator can keep your event fair, fast, effective, and budget-friendly.
This article will introduce you to some of the best free options, with honest ratings and user reviews.
How to draw a random winner for your raffle
Raffles draw people in to purchase entries based on a fair chance of winning attractive prizes. Many organizations use a random generator to draw winners for a quick and accurate outcome.
Random generators pull from a list of participant names or raffle ticket numbers. The best way to manage your list of potential winners is to run your raffle through a raffle tool that automatically captures information from each ticket purchase and keeps your list organized.
Check out the six best apps and websites for your online raffle.
Raffle laws and regulations to consider before picking a tool
Raffle laws vary by state, but knowing your local legislation will help you keep your raffle draw compliant. As you assess free raffle generators, you can confirm they align with any rules you must follow.
Example laws include:
- Requirement that the drawing happens in person
- Requirements that winners are present at the drawing
- Requirements on where drawings can happen
- Specific rules on how to run 50/50 raffles
Learn how to do a raffle in 9 easy steps
The 3 best free raffle generator tools
Wheel of Names: Random Name Picker
Wheel of Names is a 100% free, simple, and fun way to choose raffle winners. You enter your participants' names or numbers and spin the wheel to determine the winner.
The wheel spinning experience can be customized with your choice of:
- A custom background image
- Images associated with different entries on your wheel
- A center image or logo for the wheel
Wheel of Names is compliant with GDPR and CCPA. As a bonus, the electricity that powers its servers comes from 93% carbon-free energy sources.
Wheel of Names Reviews
“Wheel of Names has been a total game changer for me this year while teaching virtually and while I’ve been teaching hybrid.” - Wheel of Names user
See a full library of video testimonials from Wheel of Names users.
Comment Picker
Comment Picker helps any savvy organization run a raffle, giveaway, or event and keep modern donors or participants engaged. The tool can randomly generate numbers or names or enhance the experience by adding functionality for social media comment entries.
Organizations can expand their reach and build awareness by adding an option or requirement to comment on a social media post for opportunities to win.
For example, you might host a raffle with a price per ticket and an option for additional bonus entries when someone comments "Can't wait" and tags a friend on your post to advertise the event.
The Instagram comment picker allows you to:
- Filter comments by specific keywords or hashtags (ex. "can't wait")
- Filter duplicate users to remain fair
- Add comment replies (ex. "Thank you for your entry! Best of luck")
- Choose several winners
- Animate the winner's drawing to share on stories or a big screen at an in-person event
Comment Picker offers various ways to choose winners, including:
- Random comment pickers for all social media channels
- Random number and name generators
- Number and name picker wheels
The free plan can be upgraded to a Premium plan for $8 monthly to unlock additional features.
Reviews
Comment Picker has a 4.3/5 rating on Trustpilot
"We have been using Comment Picker for years and are very satisfied with it. They really think of everything and develop new and practical functions all the time. Love it and 100% recommend!" - 2024 Comment Picker user
Rafflys
Rafflys offers a free random name picker with a sleek and modern user interface to choose one or more winners without worrying about duplicate entries. You could also run the generator for several prize baskets you're offering guests to keep the excitement throughout the drawing.
Rafflys includes several applications for giveaways, events, and raffles, including:
- Social media giveaway tools
- Decision wheels
- Random number and team generators
- “Flip a coin” or “roll a dice” tools
There are a few options to upgrade from a free plan, ranging from $9 to $49 per month.
Reviews
Rafflys has a 4.7/5 on AppSumo
"Easy to understand, easy to implement, beautiful UX, hands off and nothing technical" - Raffly user
Frequently asked questions: Free raffle generators
How do you draw a random name for a raffle?
You can draw a random name for a raffle with a name or number generator that surfaces the number of winners you specify from a list of participants you submit.
Zeffy’s free online raffle platform makes it easy to launch a raffle and track participant information in one place without hidden fees and costs.
Is using a random number generator or a random name generator better for raffles?
Whether you use a random number generator or a random name generator is entirely up to your preference.
Use a number generator if tracking ticket numbers is easier than the names associated with each ticket. Use a name generator to make the draw more personal and skip the step of matching ticket numbers to participants.
You can also choose to use both for various portions of a raffle or separate prizes.
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